BUSINESS

  PERSONNEL POINTERS

BUILD AN INVESTED TEAM

OUTLINE GOALS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND THE BUSINESS TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER

REBECCA L. JOHNSON, C.P.O.T., C.O.T., C.O.E.

HOW DO you develop a team of people who want to do more than “their job?” A team of people who own their job and see the big picture? The answer: Follow these basic steps.

START WITH VISION

A good leader has a clear vision and the ability to communicate it to others in a way that they want to be a part of it. What is the vision for your business? (Without one, your practice is in a position of “the blind leading the blind.”) Your strategic plan for your business should be laid out and communicated to employees. It should be made clear how their actions directly contribute to this vision. Realize that the vision has to be inclusive and personal for the group to become passionately involved.

PROVIDE JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Most employees want to do a good job. (Few wake early, shower, dress and fight traffic to get to work with the intent of doing a bad job.) Most often, employees perform below our expectations because we have not properly communicated our expectations.

A job description, or long list of tasks and responsibilities, is not enough. Rather, you should provide a statement of expected outcomes that each employee can use to prioritize and organize his or her daily efforts. Aligning clearly defined expectations with measured outcomes holds staff accountable and produces results. See the example of a technician’s job description.

For Example

Take a description, coupled with its desired outcomes, for a technician:

Perform history & pretesting:
Lifestyle questionnaire completed 95%

Perform ancillary testing:
Achieve a 75% capture rate for retinal imaging.

Dispense contact lenses:
Increase contact lens annual supply sales to 75%

CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE

Role clarity is the first step in moving your team toward the same goal. In employee reviews and meetings, continue to emphasize the objectives of each employee and how his or her goals contribute to achieving the overarching vision of the business to keep everyone on track.

ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Imagine setting a straight path to a destination, but every time you take 50 steps straight, you take one step to the right. Even though you are moving toward the destination, you will miss the mark. It is impossible for an organization to be successful when there isn’t clear alignment between its objectives and what employees spend time doing. OM

MS. JOHNSON is senior training manager at Eyefinity. Email her at Eyetrain4you@gmail.com, or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article.